MRUS - Merus falls after data update for cancer candidate

• Merus N.V. ( NASDAQ: MRUS ) lost ~10% on Wednesday after the Dutch biotech updated initial in-human data for its cancer therapy MCLA-129 from a Phase 1/2 trial involving patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and other solid tumors.
• The readout included safety and efficacy data for the bispecific antibody from 18 evaluable patients, including 14 who had EGFR mutant NSCLC.
• As of the Aug. 15 data cut, there were two confirmed partial responses, and four additional partial responses indicated a 20% decrease in the tumor size.
• The experimental therapy was well tolerated in 20 patients who received at least one dose of MCLA-129, and none discontinued the trial due to treatment-related toxicity.
• Based on the data, the investigators have decided to use 1500 mg of MCLA-129 every two weeks for the Phase 2 trial.
• Since the data cutoff, additional 13 patients have been enrolled, and the trial is ongoing in the dose expansion phase.
• Previously, Citi opened a 90-day catalyst watch on Merus ( MRUS ), citing the upcoming readout after the company reported results for 13 evaluable patients as of May 08 data cut.

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